Deborah Inspires Faith in God

Barak, a man called and guaranteed success. Barak, a man
unwilling, afraid, doubting. Barak, a man inducted to the Hall of Faith
alongside Gideon and Samuel. How to explain that? Deborah, an encourager
for God's chosen man. Deborah, a godly woman who believed in God and in
His chosen man. But not Deborah, a usurper of authority and
leadership. Deborah made the difference between Barak's failure and
success by being there to bolster his courage to fulfill his call. She
wisely did not undermine him by going out and fulfilling his call
herself. May God bless His Church today with many more of her kind!

What is a visionary young lady to do if the young men are
materialistic and short-sighted? Or what should she do if they have
caught God's vision for the youth group, but lack the courage,
initiative, and leadership to move ahead? Be a Deborah. Notice she
essentially faced both questions in dealing with Barak. If you are that
visionary young lady, God wishes to use you to give the vision to the
young men. This requires that you be driven by the desire to open their
eyes; not sensuously, but spiritually; not to your body, but to God's
call.

Having "infected" them with God's vision, you are then responsible
to be an encourager and supporter. As a young man, some of the strongest
motivation to lead came from those young sisters who encouraged me in
various ways. One asked me what the Bible teaches on a certain subject,
another sought my counsel in a practical area, another one complimented
my Sunday evening topic, yet another expressed her appreciation for my
stand on a vital issue, another let me know she was praying for me,
still another jolted me by letting me know she considered me a youth
leader, a different one yet thanked me for watching out for her in a
tough situation, and another one requested that I give a talk just to
the young women. They all were above reproach in that they succeeded in
encouraging me without appealing to or awaking my natural desire for
them as women. These were some of my Deborahs. Thank you, Deborah.

What about the Baraks? What of the young man who is called but
doesn't feel he has the ability to fulfill it? First off, get this
straight: whom God calls He equips and empowers. Next lesson...the real
issue isn't ability but availability. Ready for more? Faith in God is
more important than how you feel about yourself. If we run all these
concepts through the blender, we conclude that your job is to be
available trusting God to equip you to do His work. You believe in
prayer, don't you? Confess your sense of inadequacy and fear to God, and
ask Him to equip you sufficiently to do your task to His glory and no
more.

"But what about my Deborah?!!" Do not make Deborah a precondition
to your service. And, my dear friend, do not commit the grievous error
of searching out your own Deborah. God knows we all need our
encouragers. Petition the Sender for someone like that, and leave it up
to Him whether He will send you a Deborah or a Jonathan.

We do not know if the original Deborah and Barak were single. But
you are. The Barak-Deborah relationships must be outstanding in their
purity. Their purpose is fulfilling God's call, not satisfying their
romantic and sensual needs. Ask God to keep you romantically asleep lest
you spoil the effectiveness of these special relationships. Trust the
Lord. He will awake you if the proper time ever comes!